Heat-reflecting light-transmitting window shade or the like and material for use in manufacturing the same



JUL 191 u 5 SQ mgg ,REEIEWNEF mmma a Dec. 18, 1956 K. s. LION 2,774,421

HEAT-REFLECTING LIGHT-TRANSMITTING WINDOW SHADE OR THE J LIKE AND MATERIAL FOR USE IN MANUFACTURING THE SAME Filed 001:. e, 1937 v TrzA uspmzznT 5HADE.

OR IN? Q-oxaaq' HEAT-REFLECTING LIGHT-TRANSMITTIN G WIN- DOW SHADE OR THE LIKE AND MATERIAL FOR USE IN MANUFACTURING THE SAME Kurt S. Lion, Water-town, Mass.

Application October 6, 1937, Serial No. 167,493

4 Claims. (Cl. 160-238) The present invention relates to heat-reflecting window shades or the like, and to materials for use in manufacturing the same.

It has heretofore been proposed to render window shades heat-reflecting by coating them with metal-film layers. Though these, however, have prevented penetration of the heat radiation into the room, they have also submerged the room in darkness.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a new and improved window shade or the like that, though reflecting rays in the infra-red portion of the spectrum, will nevertheless permit the transmission therethrough of rays in the visible portion of the spectrum.

Another object is to provide a new and improved window shade of the above-described character embodying a non-metal carrier layer that is substantially transparent to rays in the visible portion of the spectrum, and a layer carried by the carrier layer that is substantially transparent with the carrier layer to rays in the visible portion of the spectrum and that is highly reflective to and highly non-absorptive of rays in the inf rag ed portion of the spectrum. W

A further object of the invention is not only to protect inhabitable rooms against radiating heat from the outside, but also to improve the distribution of the intensity of the illumination in the rooms.

Still another object is to provide a new and improved material for use as a shade and the like.

Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For the purpose of explaining my invention several examples embodying the same have been shown in the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters have been used in all figures to indicate corresponding parts. In said drawing Fig. 1 shows a roller-blind diagrammatically in front elevation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in cross-section on larger scale how the material, of which the roller-blind consists, is composed.

Figs. 4 and 5 show in cross-section and elevation, strongly enlarged, another material suitable for the production of a roller-blind according to my invention.

Figs. 6 and 7 show in cross-section strongly enlarged two other materials for roller-blinds.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a roll 1 is journalled by axle pins 2a, 2b projecting from its ends in bearing pieces 3a, 3b. One edge of the blind 4 is fixed on the roll 1. A bar 5 at the lower edge of blind 4 loads and stretches the same. The roll 1 has a cord-pulley 6, on which a cord 7 can be wound. By pulling the end of cord 7 the blind is lowered in the direction of the arrow P and securely held in the lowered position by means of a mechanism mounted in roll 1. The blind or shade may be raised by spring mechanism, not shown, disposed nited States Patent 0 inside the roll 1. As the mechanism of the roller-blind is known, it has not been illustrated in the drawing. Any mechanism of known type may be employed, which is adapted to drive the roller-blind as desired in the one or in the other direction.

According to Fig. 3 the blind consists of a comparatively thick carrying layer 4a, onto which an additional comparatively thin layer 4b is applied. The layer 4b, which is preferably constituted of a smooth metal film, such as of silver, and which may be formed by any method of securing a thin metal layer to a support, for instance, by spraying or cathode-atomization on the non-metal carrier layer 4a, is carried on the outer surface of the carrier layer 4a, on the side remote from the dwelling room. If constituted of a smooth metal film, it will be highly reflective to and highly non-absorptive of rays in the infra-red portion of the spectrum. Though some of these heat rays do, of course, pass through this metal film 4b, this metal film .will nevertheless prevent substantial radiation of heat from outside the room into the room through the window. Because the metal film is highly non-absorptive of the heat rays, furthermore, it will also prevent substantial transfer of absorbed heat from the shade to the room. According to the present invention, the metal film 4b is nevertheless thin enough to be substantially transparent with the carrier layer as a unit to rays in the visible portion of the spectrum. The carrying layer 4a serves to impart to the curtain the desired strength. It preferably consists of a substantially homogeneous organic cellulose product without structure, for instance, a foil of acetylcellulose, regenerated cellulose or viscose that is substantially transparent to rays in the visible portion of the spectrum. The metal layer 4b is painted with a varnish coating or transparent lacquer 40 adapted to protect the metal layer against external influences, for instance to prevent oxidation of the same. The varnish layer has a small capacity of absorption forheatand light-rays, so that it does not lead to any heating of the curtain.

As can be seen from Fig. 1 protective strips 4d may be placed over the edges of the blind. Canvas strips lmay serve as protective strips and they may be folded along their middle line so that they are of U-shape, the two arms of the strips adhering to the material of the blind. The protective strips 4d prevent tearing of the blind. They may be fixed on the material of the blind in a simple manner by sticking. These protective strips 4d serve still for another purpose, i. e. to prevent that during the rolling-up of the blind the layers come to lie the one on the other and become scratched.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the strength of the layer 4a may be increased by the provision of an additional layer 4e consisting of a flexible wire netting.

According to Fig. 6 the structureless, substantially homogeneous layer 4a is replaced by a non-homogeneous layer 4], preferably of textile fabric with suflicient strength properties. On this layer 4 the metal layer 4b is provided which reflects infra-red rays to a high degree. Between the metal layer 4b and the textile layer 4 a layer 4g is enclosed adapted to increase the adhesion of the metal layer 412 on the textile layer 4 The intermediate layer 4g may consist of glutinants or adhesives, to which preferably substances are added by which a smoother structure is imparted to the side of the textile layer facing the metal layer 4b.

It very frequently happens that in a dwelling room those places, which are relatively distant from the window, are just correctly lighted, whereas the brightness at the places of the room near the window is too great. It is therefore necessary, to reduce the brightness near the window, but not at the places of the room which are comparatively far distant from the Window. The blind shown in Fig. 7 is adapted to improve the distribution of the rays in the visible portion of the spectrum, thereby to provide a more uniform illumination as well as to protect the room against heat radiation. To this end, it is provided with dulling means, in order to diffuse the rays of visible or luminous light which pass through it. The room being protected by the roller-blind is therefore lighted neither by direct sun rays nor by direct natural light. The blind has the effect of a large selfligh ting surface and the diffused light coming from the same results in a favorable, i. e. more uniform distribution of light in the room, that is such a distribution of light in which the difference between the illumination at places near the Windows and at places remote from the windows is not too great.

In some instances it is preferable to emboss or flute the blind material for increasing its flexibility.

I claim:

1. A shade for a window of a room comprising a carrier medium and a metal medium carried thereby that is highly reflective to rays in the infra-red portion of the spectrum in order to prevent substantial radiation of heat from outside the room into the room through the window, that is highly non-absorptive of the said rays in order to prevent substantial transfer of absorbed heat from the shade to the room, and that is thin enough to be substantially transparent to rays in the visible portion of the spectrum, the carrier medium being also substantially transparent to rays in the visible portion of the spectrum in order to permit substantial radiation of light from outside the room into the room through the window though substantially preventing the heat outside the room entering the room through the window, and the shade being dulled in order to diffuse the light radiated into the room through the window.

2. A material of the class described for use as a shade and the like comprising a non-metal carrier layer substantially transparent to rays in the visible portion of the spectrum, and a metal film carried by the carrier layer that is thin enough to be substantially transparent with the carrier layer to rays in the visible portion of the spectrum and that is highly reflective to and highly non-absorptive of rays in the infra-red portion of the spectrum, the carrier layer being thick compared to the thinness of the film in order to impart strength to the material comprising the carrier layer with the film carried by the carrier layer, the material comprising the carrier layer with the film carried by the carrier layer being nevertheless sufliciently flexible to permit of rolling it, and the material being dulled in order to diffuse the rays in the visible portion of the spectrum.

3. A material of the class described for use as a shade and the like comprising a plurality of layers including a non-metal carrier layer substantially transparent as a unit to rays in the visible portion of the spectrum, and a metal film carried by the carrier layer that is thin enough to be substantially transparent with the unit to rays in the visible portion of the spectrum and that is highly reflective to and highly non-absorptive of rays in the infra-red portion of the spectrum, the carrier layer being thick compared to the thinness of the film in order to impart strength to the material comprising the unit with the film carried by the carrier layer, the material comprising the unit with the film carried by the carrier layer being nevertheless sufiiciently flexible to permit of rolling it, and the material being dulled in order to diffuse the rays in the visible portion of the spectrum.

4. A shade or the like for a window of a room having a roll, and a member adapted to be Wound on and unwound from the roll comprising a non-metal carrier layer substantially transparent to rays in the visible portion of the spectrum and a metal film carried by the carrier layer that is thin enough to be substantially transparent with the carrier layer to rays in the visible portion of the spectrum in order to permit substantial radiation of light from outside the room into the room through the window, that is highly reflective to rays in the infra-red portion of the spectrum in order to prevent substantial radiation of heat from outside the room into the room through the window, and that is highly non-absorptive of the rays in the infra-red portion of the spectrum in order to prevent substantial transfer of absorbed heat from the shade to the room, the carrier layer being thick compared to the thinness of the film in order to impart strength to the member comprising the carrier layer with the film carried by the carrier layer, the member comprising the carrier layer with the film carried by the carrier layer being nevertheless sufficiently flexible to permit of winding it on and unwinding it from the roll, and the shade being dulled in order to diffuse the rays in the visible portion of the spectrum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 223,627 Allen Jan. 20, 1880 1,128,867 Genter Feb. 16, 1915 1,176,313 Pfund Mar. 21, 1916 1,222,049 Tillyer Apr. 10, 1917 1,582,824 Kamide Apr. 27, 1926 1,597,300 Troeger Aug. 24, 1926 1,720,232 North July 9, 1929 1,767,285 Higbie June 24, 1930 1,922,899 Newill Aug. 15, 1933 1,983,617 Ladon Dec. 11, 1934 2,022,064 Wallach Nov. 26, 1935 2,028,670 Hosking Jan. 21, 1936 2,039,372 Wickmann May 5, 1936 2,065,402 Schweller Dec. 22, 1936 2,106,889 Frank Feb. 1, 1938 2,264,140 Mulberg Nov. 25, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 393,560 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1931 549,649 Great Britain Dec. 1, 1942 OTHER REFERENCES Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Sixteenth ed., Sept. 1931, pp. 1160 to 1162. 

